Why Use Gunpowder to Build a Bomb?

While few of the details surrounding the Boston Marathon bombings are well-known or well-understood, it is widely-held that the bombs were a common type of IED made filling a pressure cooker with explosives and shrapnel.

U.S. Rep. Mike McCaul, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said “most likely gun powder” was used in the devices.

The pressure cooker itself is even a bit innocuous and common, although from now on people will be more than a bit suspicious of abandoned pressure cookers from here on out. Like airport security, pressure cookers will be a symbol of terrorism from now on.

Being composed of such easy-to-obtain components, pressure cooker bombs have gained a lot of popularity with bombers around the world. And here in America, where you can buy gunpowder and black powder with ease, it was only a matter of time before some would-be terrorist would use the pressure cooker method to do harm.

As devastating as the attack was, we have to remember that pressure cooker bombs are inefficient. And that if this was a gunpowder-based bomb, we, and many of the victims of the Boston Bombing are — in a sense — lucky that the bombers did not lay hands on more powerful explosives.

Gunpowder, even though it is largely more energetic than black powder, is still considered a low explosive. The pressure cooker helps contain that explosive energy for a fraction of a second, causing that energy level to spike, to get better combustion of the fuel, but even then it’s a far cry from other explosives, including ANFO, more commonly recognized as the diesel and fertilizer mix used for the Oklahoma City bombing and before that, the 1993 attempt on the World Trade Center.

Just a few days ago the town of West, Texas, suffered a massive disaster when compounds mixed at the West Fertilizer Company storage and distribution facility exploded, killing 14, injuring 160 and damaging or destroying at least 150 buildings. The explosion powered a tremor the equivalent of a 2.1-magnitude earthquake.

The use of gunpowder does have one advantage over other types of explosive: bomb dogs are not always trained to sniff it out, as other bomb components are much more common.

“It is outrageous that anyone, even a known terrorist, can walk into a store in America and buy explosives without any questions asked,” said Lautenberg. “If we are serious about public safety, we must put these common-sense safeguards in place. While the police have not revealed what specific explosive materials were used in Boston, what we do know is that explosive powder is too easy to anonymously purchase across the country.”

Leaving these terrorists with only better alternatives? Regulating the sale of reloading components will have as much leverage on bomb-builders as Massachusetts’ tight gun control had on preventing the Boston bombers from illegally arming themselves with firearms: it won’t do anything.

Others are calling for immigration reform, for increased scrutiny surrounding potential citizens and visitors. That overlooks the fact that the bombers were radicalized here, domestically and immigration reform obviously doesn’t work on home-grown terrorists.

We do have one tool in the kit that works across the board. Intelligence and investigation. What’s upsetting is how for Boston and the rest of the nation, it failed in this case.

It would be one thing if the bombers were a perfect pair of sleepers that switched on when the calendar hit 2013. But that’s not the case.

Last November, Russian security officials sent word to the FBI to inform them that Tamerlan Tsarnaev was in contact with a suspected terrorist cell in Dagestan six months ago. Our War on Terror has brought warrantless wiretaps, domestic drones and a militarized police force, but apparently not letter openers because the message was not received.

House officials have started an investigation to find out what was in the file on Tsarnaev supplied to the FBI. McCaul, (R-TX), said the incidents “Raise the most serious questions about the efficacy of the federal counter terrorism efforts.”

Still, it’s entirely possible that the FBI was engaged in a proper investigation on Tsarnaev and his cohorts and they simply slipped the noose.

Because there’s one thing we have to learn to accept: no matter how much time, effort and money we throw into rooting out terrorists (and making all the legal and civil sacrifices that level of security necessitates) we’ll never be able to prevent them all. Marathons get bombed.

“Don’t glorify the terrorists and their actions by calling this part of a “War on Terror.” Wars involve two legitimate sides. There’s only one legitimate side here; those on the other are criminals. They should be found, arrested and punished. But we need to be vigilant not to weaken the very freedoms and liberties that make this country great, meanwhile, just because we’re scared.

“Instead, be indomitable — and support leaders who are as well. That’s how to defeat terrorists.”

Everything is just way too convenient in this bombing.
Pushes for CISPA on the House floor?
Background checks for gunpowder?
Where did they get the guns? Who wants to bet it'll be claimed they received them from a private seller at a gun show?
Tossing "grenades and military-grade explosives" at police, but using low-grade gunpowder in the bomb which was supposed to send the message? Did one of them say "Hey, bro, don't put the good stuff in the bomb, let's save it for if we get into a highly televised and dramatic running gun battle with every cop and three-letter federal agency in the book!"
And, on that note, it took every cop and three-letter fed agency in the book, martial law, and warrantless home searches, pulling people out of their houses at gunpoint by SWAT teams tooled up like they're about to roll into Fallujah to catch TWO GUYS?
And if getting away with it was the plan, why go to all the trouble of making a low-powered, undetectable bomb, and then stay 5 minutes from "ground zero", instead of just calmly driving away?
And why is the government denying the existence of the other 5 bombs planted around the city?
There are SO MANY MORE unanswered questions that the government is simply refusing to acknowledge.

Seems to me albeit somewhat simplistic our worldwide problem stems mostly from Muslim terrorists and maybe we need to stop being so stupidly politicly correct and call a spade a spade and nothing else.
If we want to ban something so badly it would stand to reason that at this point it should be muslims since being a terrorist is already against the law I believe.

Coming from lower Michigan, where there is huge Muslim populations, your argument doesnt cut it. If there was a direct correlation between all forms of Islam and terrorism then we would have a lot more of it, and most attacks would be in my locality. Also, by your logic, Northern Ireland, and many other places, would have much different histories. Now, If you had said Wahabism rather than Islam in general you might be onto something, but that would mean a reorientation of our foriegn policy away from Saudi Arabia and away from supporting "rebels" the world over. The world is complex, isnt it?

Since Lautenberg cannot get the "assault rifle" banned he is going after the muzzle loader. But the question then is: will this include all bullet cartridges as they all include powder. And then if so, is that not against the 2nd Amendment--as bearing arms is useless if not for bullets.

Rather than ban or subject gunpowder to background checks, perhaps it makes more sense to train bomb dogs to sniff out gunpowder devices. It would appear that nobody would use the weak gunpowder EXCEPT for the fact that it is not generally detected by the dogs (because substantially nobody uses it). Certainly Senator Lautenberg is aware of this and simply wants to increase to cost of ammunition components. Common sense? I think I smell a rat.

people just don't understand the devious minds of politicians. the "assault weapons'" ban failed, the hicap magazine ban failed, expanded background checks failed the only alternative is to restrict us from having ammunition. this is nothing but an end run.

If gunpowder or black powder is regulated what will be next? Potassium Nitrate? Charcoal? Sulfur? It will be a never ending problem no matter what! Anyone with a basic knowledge of chemistry, or how to use the internet to find out, can make their own gunpowder or black powder or even worse types of explosives!

There have always been mass murderers and all we can do is try to safe guard the public and put them away as quickly as possible. To restrict the day to day rights of the citizenry in ineffective and Limiting of our rights. Most people are aware of means of self protection and tend to minimize the precautions so they and their family can lead a normal life. If some psycho wants to kill a hundred people he can do it with out consideration of gun laws gun powder limits etc. Oklahoma City proved that.

Mike Murphy Just stating a fact Mike. From many posts that I have read recently, many people are unaware of which states, if any have licensing and background checks in place. Many in the mainstream media and many celebrities (as if their opinions have any merit) would have the public believe that there are no background checks or restrictions in place as to who may purchase firearms or ammunition. Simply not true.

to the liberal idiots out there about the gun powder. anyone can make explosives without gun powder just go to your auto parts store & walmart. all the items you need are there! just another way for the government to take away our rights!

Well this is like 9-11 all over again they get the info and don't seam to give a crap about it. What the hell this could have been stopped someone needs to have there ass handed to them over this info slip up!

Lautenburg is SUCH a complete schittferbraynes! The formula for making black powder has been public knowledge for literaly CENTURIES and he thinks a background check will keep people from making black power bombs! Maybe next he'll want a background check for buying saltpeter!

The reason people like that do these bombings is because they're trying to destroy the country by forcing us to turn ourselves into a police state and give up all of our freedoms. Once that happens, civil unrest ensues, and America falls.